


The ways we love you.

by Mandakatt



Series: Guardian Wind [16]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, Dedue forgot his own birthday, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Multi, Surprise Birthday Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26225875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mandakatt/pseuds/Mandakatt
Summary: Today was like any other day, and yet Dedue wondered why his classmates were acting so strangely.They were gifting him things, praising him, making things for him that catered to his taste in food and sweets, though he was positive that he didn't deserve such things.What was so special about today?
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic & Dedue Molinaro, Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert & Dedue Molinaro, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Dedue Molinaro, Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Dedue Molinaro, Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Dedue Molinaro, Mercedes von Matritz & Dedue Molinaro, Sylvain Jose Gautier & Dedue Molinaro
Series: Guardian Wind [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894477
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	The ways we love you.

“Hey Dedue! Look! It reminded me of you!”

Dedue blinked at the small package in Annette’s hands as she smiled up at him, so brightly that it caused a smile of his own to gently, and slightly pull his lips upwards. “It reminded you..of me?”

Annette chuckled at him softly and gently pushed the small package into his hands. “That is what I said, isn’t it?” she giggled and gently took a step back, a light blush rushing to her cheeks. “Now, I’ve gotta go meet the professor, but..I wanted to give this to you now. Have a great day Dedue!” 

He didn’t get the chance to thank her before she ran off. 

With a sigh he glanced down at the small package in his fingers and couldn’t help but smile almost fondly as he tucked it away into his pocket, and made his way into the dining hall. The air was filled with the smell of spices, that oddly reminded him of home, and yet, something sweet lingered in the air. 

“Ah Dedue!” Ashe called cheerfully from behind the counter. “Good Morning!”

“Good Morning, Ashe.”

“Did you sleep alright?”

“I did. Yes. Have you seen his Highness this morning?”

“Hmn? Oh, yes! He’s with the professor and the other house leaders, though I’m sure they’ll be done in just a few minutes.” 

“I see,” Dedue was quiet for a moment before he looked over towards the pots in front of Ashe, before looking back to him. “Ashe, may I ask what it is you are making?”

“I’m making your favorite,” Ashe smiled to him brightly and went back to stir the pot to make sure it didn’t burn. “It should be ready by lunchtime, if..if I’ve translated the recipe right.”

“Do you need assistance?”

“No! Nope!” Ashe laughed softly and looked back at him. “I promise you, I’ve got this!”

“If you are sure?”

“I am, but if I need something, I promise to come find you, okay Dedue?”

“Very well,” and Dedue gave him a gentle bow before walking out of the hall. He found it strange that Ashe was going out of his way to make Duscurian cuisine, but Ashe did promise that if he needed help with cooking, that he would come ask for his help. He supposed that was all he could ask for.

“Oh! Good Morning Deude!”

“Good Morning Mercedes. Did you sleep well?”

“I did thank you,” she smiled up at him as she got close. “And yourself?”

“I slept well. Thank you.”

Mercedes smiled up at him brightly then blinked, her head tilting back just a little to sniff the air. “Ah, it smells as if the cake I started is almost finished!”   
  
“Cake?”

“Yes,” Mercedes smiled up at him. “Ashe had informed me that he was making something special for lunch, and I tried my best to pair it with a dessert. I sure hope you like it.”

Dedue’s brows pinched lightly in confusion. He was unsure why people seemed to be giving him things, or catering to him, when they didn’t have any reason to. “I am sure that I will, Mercedes.”

“Good, I’d better go check on it. I don’t want it to burn. I will see you later, okay?”

“Of course,” and Dedue gently bowed to her as well as she made her way into the hall. He found himself a little lost in thought till a voice pulled him out of it.

“Hey! Lap dog!”

“Felix,” Dedue said softly as he turned to face him. “What do you need?”

Felix huffed at him, his arms crossing over his chest a bit. “I had asked you to train with me today.”

“Yes, this afternoon if I remember correctly.”

“Yeah, well,” Felix huffed again, running a hand through his hair. “It can wait till tomorrow.”

“I’m....sorry?”

“I said it--”

“Apologies for interrupting. But, may I ask why?”

Felix huffed and glared at him, a look that Dedue was quite familiar with to be honest, but it was almost...soft in a way. “I simply don’t feel like training today. We’ll train tomorrow. Do  _ not _ be late.”

“Are you unwell?”

“What?” Felix blinked at him then huffed. “No I’m not unwell. Don’t concern yourself so much with me, Lap dog. Just don’t be late tomorrow. Understand?”

“Understood.” and Dedue gave him a gentle bow.

Felix seemed pleased with that answer and quickly made his way to the training hall.  _ Wait. Did he not say he was not going to-- _

“Hey Dedue!”

“Sylvain,” he turned to face him then blinked a moment as he seemed in a rush. “Are you alright?”

“Huh? Who me? Oh yeah, I’m fine,” and Sylvain laughed softly as he reached out to gently pat Dedue on the shoulder. “Though, I wanted to swing by and say thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“Yeah.” Sylvain said with a bright smile. 

“What for?”

“Well for having the patience with me when I asked you to help me to learn to cook. Man, I still can’t believe that I made that.” and he gently rested his hands behind his head, giving him a smile. “I mean, I know I’m supposedly ‘indefensibly worthless’ but at least I can cook right? I mean, I had an excellent teacher.”

“It is because you have a talent for it. It is not anything that I have taught you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong you know.” Sylvain huffed at him. “What was it you told me; that I saw you as a person, not someone simply from Duscur.  _ And _ as a person, with unfathomable patience, thank you, for putting up with me.”

Dedue blinked at him, surprised to say the least before he gave him a little bit of a lopsided smile. “You are welcome, Sylvain.”

“Good, great! So…” and Sylvain gave him a smirk. “Does that mean I can ask you for more lessons later? Not today of course, but...tomorrow maybe?”

“Yes, of course. I would be honored.” 

“Good!” and Sylvain moved close, patting him on the shoulder again as he worked his way into the hall. “See you then!”

Dedue turned his head to watch him go, once again perplexed by how people were treating him today. He’d wondered if he’d done something to upset them all in some way. Or if they were simply growing tired of him. He was used to how people of the kingdom treated him; much to Dimitri’s dismay, but this was...different. It was as if they were trying to give him nothing to do today, and he found himself at a loss of what to do. 

Perhaps his Highness might be able to shed some light on--

“Dedue, are you okay?”

His head snapped up from looking down at his feet, and he blinked in surprise before he straightened himself further. “Ingrid.”

Ingrid chuckled softly. “Yes, that’s me. Are you alright? You look a little unwell.”

“I am fine,” he stated bluntly before his brows furrowed a little in thought. “I am simply...confused.”

“Confused? What about?” Ingrid stepped closer and gently tilted her head. 

“How I am being treated today.”

“Treated? Did someone say something cruel about you?”

“No,” Dedue gently shook his head. “It seems that everyone simply is...avoiding me. Have I done something that has made everyone angry?”

Ingrid blinked at him a moment then smiled softly as she rested her hands behind her back. “No. You have done nothing of the sort. Though if you are worried about it, have you asked them?”

“No, I have not had the opportunity.”

“Have they outright said that you have made them angry?”

“No,” he shook his head. “But it is nothing that I am not used to.”

Ingrid sighed quietly to that, knowing full well that she had a hand in that as well, and goddess she felt bad about it. She hoped that she could make it up to him in some way. “Well, this is where I hope that others realize that you are truly a wonderful person. I...I know I said it once before but it is words I didn’t say lightly. If I am making sense.”

Dedue blinked at her once, then slightly nodded his head. “Yes.”

“Good, I-I’m glad, and I only hope that you come to realize it yourself, despite what others may say about you.” Ingrid gave him a soft smile before nodding her head. “Right. Um….I am positive that no one is mad at you, Dedue. But, I think you should perhaps ask Dimitri about it if you’re really concerned.”

“Thank you, Ingrid. I will do that.”

“Good, see you inside Dedue.” 

“Of course,” Dedue gently bowed his head to her watching her walk into the hall. 

Him? A wonderful person? She had told him that once before, and he still found it rather overwhelming, to be considered such a thing. 

“Ah, hello Dedue,”

“Your Highness,” Dedue’s eyes snapped over to him and he stood up just a little bit straighter. “I trust everything is alright?”

“Yes of course,” Dimitri gave him a gentle smile as he stepped close to him. “Is something troubling you?”

“I--yes.” he said softly as he took a bit of a deep breath. “Do you know if I have done something to upset everyone else?”

“Upset them?” Dimitri looked at him confused. “What makes you think that you have upset them?”

“Well…perhaps upset is the wrong word. I got a gift from Annette, Ashe and Mercedes are making food special for me. Felix cancelled training, which is very unlike him. Sylvian thanked me, and Ingrid told me I was a wonderful person.”

Dimitri blinked once then chuckled softly as he gave him a gentle smile. “Well I would agree with that last statement. Though, Felix cancelling training is very strange.”

“Yes…”

“Well then,” Dimitri glanced passed him to the door behind him then smiled before looking back. “Let’s go ask them the reasons as to why they have done such things.”

“I do not wish to burden them with--”

“Dedue. Please...follow me?” Dimitri begged him softly, and Dedue felt his heart twist at the slight pout on Dimitri’s features. 

“Yes, of course your Highness.”

When they stepped into the dining hall this time, it had changed completely from how it looked a few moments before. It was now decorated with balloons and streamers, and a hastily painted sign that said ‘Happy Birthday, Dedue!’. 

“What is--?” 

“Surprise!”

Dedue blinked, his mouth falling open just a little as he looked at the others that were gathered around one of the tables. The duscurian dish that Ashe had made was displayed proudly at the middle of the table, with the cake that Mercedes had baked just off to the side. Sylvain had his arm slung around Felix’s shoulders, and Felix looked annoyed but he had yet to shrug him off. Annette had snuck in through the back door and was standing next to Mercedes and Ingrid. 

“Happy Birthday Dedue!”

“I…”

“Aw, look at him! He’s speechless!” Sylvain teased only to grunt when Felix elbowed him in the gut. 

Dimitri smiled softly. “Are you okay Dedue?”

Turning his head to look at Dimitri, Dedue felt his breath catch just a little at the smile he saw on his face, and how excited he was for this. For him. “Your highness…”

“Yes Dedue…?”

“You...will you forgive me?”

“Forgive you?” Dimitri blinked at him surprised. “Whatever for…?”

“It would seem that I thought everyone was upset with me. Avoiding me. And yet, you had gone through all of this to surprise me…”

“Yes,” Dimitri looked a little worried then. “Do you not like it?”

“It is not that. It would seem that I had forgotten today was my birthday. So, thank you,” Dedue said softly, his eyes growing a little glossy. “I am not sure that I deser--”

“Shut it, Lap Dog,” Felix snarled. “Don’t you  _ dare _ finish that sentence.”

“I agree,” Mercedes said softly, a gentle smile on her face. “We felt you deserved it, otherwise we wouldn’t have done such things for you.”

“You deserve it, Dedue. Every bit of it,” Ashe said with a gentle smile and a light blush on his cheeks. “We...kinda care about you a lot you know.”

“We do,” Dimitri said with a soft smile. “And each of us showed you how we care about you. In our own ways.”

Dedue glanced from Dimitri to the others before a genuine, gentle smile pulled his lips upwards, and he gently bowed to all of them. “...I… thank you.”

“You’re welcome Dedue.”

“Great! I’m starving!” Sylvain chuckled softly. “Let’s eat!”

“This isn’t for you, Sylvain…” Felix huffed at him. 

“I do not mind,” Dedue said softly, that smile still on his features. “Please--”

“Well, not till you get the first bite,” Ashe said softly. “You--You have to tell me if it's any good.”

“I am positive it will be very tasty.” 

“Oh? W-Why’s that.”

“Because, it smells like home…” Dedue said with a gentle smile. “Thank you, All of you.”

“You’re welcome. Happy birthday, Dedue.” 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me also on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Mandakatt) and [Tumblr](https://mandakatt.tumblr.com/)


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